Early offense paces Power to 11-6 win Tuesday

CHARLESTON, W. Va. (July 16, 2019) - West Virginia's offense jumped all over Columbia early, using seven runs in the first three innings and a pair of three-hit days from Matt Sanders and Julio Rodriguez to claim an 11-6 win over the Fireflies Tuesday night at Appalachian Power Park.
Columbia starter Tylor Megill (3-2) labored tremendously in his third start of the year, as the righty was unable to escape the first inning. After Ryan Ramiz flew out to right to begin the frame, Sanders worked his way aboard via an infield single up the middle. Megill then issued three consecutive walks to Julio, Bobby Honeyman and Austin Shenton, the last of which plated the Power's first run. A wild pitch from Megill ushered home Julio to extend the lead to 2-0, but the Firefly (13-13, 37-55) hurler battled back to fan Onil Pena for the second out. With runners at second and third, Dean Nevarez strode to the plate and delivered in his first game back with West Virginia (13-13, 50-46). The backstop stroked a two-run single to right, bringing in Honeyman and Shenton to push the lead to 4-0 and end Megill's night on the slab. 

Jake Simon took over following Nevarez's run-scoring knock and could not find the zone either, handing free passes to Mike Salvatore and Charlie McConnell to load the bases. Simon was able to leave the bags occupied, however, fanning Ramiz to end the 41-minute inning.
The Power managed to get to Simon in the second, though, as Sanders and Julio smacked back-to-back doubles to start the stanza and give West Virginia a 5-0 edge.
The onslaught continued in the third, as Nevarez kicked off the frame with a single to center. After Salvatore flew out to right, McConnell was hit by a pitch and Ramiz ripped a single to right that clogged up the bases. Sanders then sent a ball right back up the middle for his third hit of the night, plating Nevarez to make it 6-0 Power. West Virginia would tack on one more in the inning on a fielding error by Ronny Mauricio that allowed McConnell to trot home.
Ryne Inman held Columbia scoreless over his four innings of work, ceding just three hits while striking out four, but saw his outing cut short due to a heavy pitch count. Reid Morgan (1-0) entered in the fifth and dazzled the Fireflies, notching a 1-2-3 frame in his Power debut on seven pitches (six for strikes).
Morgan sputtered in the sixth, serving up a pair of one-out knocks to Wagner Lagrange and Chase Chambers that put two on for Shervyen Newton. The Columbia third baseman smashed a ball down the right-field line that just stayed fair for a three-run homer, shrinking West Virginia's cushion to four. However, Julio answered right back in the home half of the inning, launching a moonshot roundtripper 392 feet to left, his sixth long ball of the season, to push the lead to 8-3.
The Fireflies kept creeping back into it in the seventh, as Travis Kuhn struggled in his Power debut, conceding two runs on three hits in just two-thirds of an inning. Kuhn was able to cap off his stint with a strikeout of Chambers, but left Benjamin Onyshko (S, 2) to deal with a two-on, two-out situation. Onyshko walked the first batter he faced in Hayden Senger to load the bases, but then speared a line drive from Newton right back to the mound to wiggle out of the jam.
Onyshko turned it on in the eighth, setting down Columbia in order with a pair of strikeouts and a pop out. In the bottom of the frame, West Virginia provided Onyshko with some insurance, as Ramiz ignited the offense again by lacing a triple for the second straight day. Sanders quickly brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right to push the lead to 9-5. Julio kept the inning rolling with a double to left, and Honeyman sent him in after depositing a base hit into shallow left. Shenton rounded out the three-run stanza by slashing an RBI double to right that made it 11-5 Power.
With that eighth-inning knock, Honeyman extended his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest active hitting streak for West Virginia. During this hot stretch, the Stony Brook product is averaging .360 (18-for-50) with a home run, six RBI and nine runs scored.
The Fireflies were able to scratch across a run against Onsyhko in the ninth, but the southpaw struck out Lagrange and got Chambers to fly out to right to seal the win.
The Power concludes their three-game series against the Columbia Fireflies Wednesday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park, with first pitch set for 12:05 p.m. RHP Devin Sweet (4-4, 3.36 ERA) toes the slab for West Virginia, while Columbia sends righty Simeon Woods-Richardson (2-8, 4.63 ERA) to the mound. Pregame coverage begins at 11:45 am. on The Jock 1300 and 1340 AM, as well as online at wvpower.com and via the TuneIn Radio App and MiLB First Pitch App.
The highlight of the homestand comes on Friday, July 19, with Faith and Family Night, presented by Mako Medical Laboratories and NewLife 94.5! Come experience a night of music, faith and baseball at the ballpark! Enjoy pregame concerts by Kyle Huffman, the winner of the NewLife 94.5 Power Factor competition, and Todd Agnew, as well as postgame fireworks, courtesy of TC Energy and Suddenlink! For tickets and more information, call the Power at 304-344-2287 or visit www.wvpower.com.